Gelatin dynamites



Patented Nov. 14, 1944 I I 2,362,618

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GELATIN DYNAMITES Clarence Herman Winning, Woodbury, N. J., as-

signor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application September 26, 1942,

Serial No. 459,841

. 8 Claims. (Cl. 52-7) This invention relates to gelatin dynamites. lead (Pba04) and other compounds of lead.

By the term gelatin dynamites, I intend to in- However, I find that other metallic compounds clude all explosive compositions containing a are applicable, for example ferric sulfate liquid explosive ingredient and nitrocellulose. (Fez(SO4)a); a basic ferric sulfate, one simple That is, my invention is applicable to straight 5 form of which may be indicated as FeOHSO4; gelatins, ammonia gelatins, semi-gelatins, blastand similar compounds of copper, manganese, ing gelatins, and the like. aluminum, bismuth, mercury, and cobalt. The

The problem in the manufacture of gelatin amount of said gelation agents usedpreferably dynamites, for certain purposes, is to produce will be between 0.05 and 5%, based on the a very stiff and viscous material; however, it is weight of the liquid explosive nitric ester.

not always convenient to manufacture such a It is believed that in some instances these meproduct. Previously, if a stiff gelatin were detallic com-pounds are changed somewhat in a sired excess nitrocellulose was added. A disadgelatin during storage by reactions involving sovantage in the manufacture of exceptionally dium or ammonium nitrate, antacids, and moisstiff gelatin dynamites, in accordance with the ture. For example, it is possible that some lead prior art, is the high cost of production due to oxide is converted to basic nitrate or that some the excess nitrocellulose necessary to produce aluminum sulfate is converted to a basic alumsuch a product. inum sulfate. These reactions do not neces- The plasticity of gelatins must be controlled sarily go to completion. It is possible, therefore, within reasonable limits during manufacture in that the reaction products, rather than the maorder to obtain normal cartridging operations on terials introduced, are responsible for the automatic machinery used for this purpose. improved effect.

Therefore, ditficulties occur whenanexceptionally The foregoing gelation agents according to still explosive is desired as would be the case this invention are advantageous when used in for gelatins which have to be forced through conjunction with gelatinized high explosives genheavy muck to considerable depths in order to erally, inasmuch as they increase the viscosity charge the bore hole. Certain gelatins when and stiffness of the same. This invention is apexposed to the sun or exceptionally high templicable with high efllciency in case of the straight perature become undesirably soft for certain and ammonia gelatins as well as with the so types of loading operations. called semi-gelatins where, smaller percentages An object of the present invention is .the proof nitrocellulose are present. In addition, I have duction of gelatin dynamites having substantially. discovered that said gelation agents are effechigher viscosities and stiffness than have heretive in nitroglycerin containing nitrated polytofore been practicable. A further object is the merized glycerin and ethylene glycol, or mixtures production of gelatin dynamites which mainof these with nitrated glycerin.

tain high viscosities and satisfactory plasticity Further illustration of my invention is furover long periods of heated humid storage. An nished in the following examples of blasting additional object is the manufacture of gelatins gelatins prepared with said gelation agents.

having enhanced properties over those previously Table I produced for use, particularly in seismograph io prospecting. Other objects will appear as the invention is further described. A B

I have found that the viscosity and stiffness of Na l m went 91 0 90 8 the gels can be greatly increased. within a Niafifioi'ffin, II5:11;::JJJJJIIJII:3:3:3ino: 4:5 4:5 stantially short time after processing, by the Lead yd d addition of certain metallic compounds, herein gggiti fffli ff gg deferred to as gelation agents. If one of these H 'f fl 1 2 illol'ganic gelation agents is added to nitroglyc- 2midtifi ''fjjlllIII:IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII n 4 erin-nitrocellulose gel, the viscosity-orcharactw As produced 34 ter of the gel may be changed to the extent that it becomes set or semi-rigid. The most ef- The hardness experiments were carried out fective gelation agents, according to my invenby means of a pin in diameter at the penetion, include compounds of lead, for example tration end. A force was applied to the pin by lead hydroxide (Pb(OH)2); a basic lead nitrate, means of a spring. The hardness figures show one simple form of which may be indicated by that increased tension from the spring was the formula (Pb(OH)NO3); litharge (PbO); red necessary to obtain the same depth of penetration of the pin. The unit of these figures is arbitrary.

The increased hardness of the finished explosive, a modified blasting gelatin, in column B of the above table shows the desirable effect of lead hydroxide as one of my gelation agents. It will be apparent that this gelatin increased in stiffness-during two months storage at'35 C.

The increased hardness brought about by operation according to this invention may be strikingly illustrated by the. following results in which lead oxide was used as a gelation agent in a 60% straight gelatin.

To further demonstrate the gelation effect of my metallic compounds on gelatinized high explosives, extrusion tests were carried out on these explosives, and as an example, I cite the test made on the modified blasting gelatin in Table I above,,in which lead hydroxide was used as the gelation agent. In this experiment 300 grams of the gelatin were placed in a container with A" hole in the bottom. A similar apparatus was set up to test. the stiffness of the same gelatin in which gelation agents were absent. These explosives were tested under 50 C. andthe same pressure. After three days storage under these conditions, 63.5 grams of the explosive in which gelation agents were absent 'had exuded through the hole; whereas, all of distance at a definite angle of inclination. I in-- dicates that the flow was practically instantaneous. The fractions in these tables indicate that the material flowed only the indicated fraction of the fixed distance in five minutes. Longer timing periods were not considered convenient or particularly significant.

The table below shows the gelation efiect of metal salts in the presence of ammonium nitrate,

which is present in ammonia gelatins.

able III 1 day I 1 mo. 4 mos. '9 mos.

Inches Indie: Inches Inches tandard-no metal salt. 50 3 I L 1.0% i'a'ric 62 70 65 $6 1 0% ferrous sulfate 90 120 24 1.0% aluminum sulfate 45 H) 10 1 7 The following table indicates the gelation efsimilar compositions of the prior art.

difficulties in working properties.

feet in gelatins containing sodium nitrate, which I is present in straight gelatins.

' Table IV 1 day I 1 wk. 2 mos.

Standard no gelation Inchig Inches rge i 0.2% lead hydroxide. 0.2% basic lead nitrate.

XXX

1 Practically set.

The following table serves as an illustration of the stabilizing effect the gelation agents have on the viscosity of gelatin explosives, made in accordance with my invention, in the absence of other inorganic nitrates.

Table V 1 day 1 mo. 2 mos.

Standard-no gelation Inbhes Inches Inches 11!; 51 52 0.2% basic lead nitrate.

In carrying out my invention, nitroglycerin may be used alone as the liquid explosive nitric ester if desired, although other liquid nitric esters, for example ethylene glycol dinitrate, may be employed either alone or in combination with nitroglycerine. Moreover, other nitric esters and amounts of nitrocellulose.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific examples and details herein described, since these can be varied without departing from the scope of this invention. Therefore, I intend to be limited in my invention only as indicated in the appended patent claims.

I claim:

1. A gelatin dynamite comprising a liquid explosive nitric ester, nitrocellulose, and a compound taken from the group consisting of metallic oxides, hydroxides, normal and basic salts of elements taken from the group consisting of lead, iron, and aluminum, said compound being present in an amount between 0.05 and 5%, based on the weight of the liquid explosive nitric ester.

2. The gelatin dynamite of claim 1, in which the gelation agent is lead hydroxide.

3. The gelatin dynamite 01' claim ,1, in which the gelation agent'is a basic lead nitrate.

the gelation .lgentds lead oxide.

tion of nitrocellulose in a liquid explosive nitric ester, which process comprises effecting said gelatinization in the presence of a compound taken from the group consisting of metallic oxides, hy-

4. The-gelatindynamite of claim 1, in which 5. The process of controlling the gelatiniza-r 7. The process according to claim 5, in which said gelatinization is brought about in the presence of a basic lead nitrate:

8. The process according to claim 5, in which said gelatinization is effected in the presence of a lead oxide.

CLARENCE HERMAN WINNING. 

